(1) Field
The present disclosure relates to schemes for routing a call using caller identification.
(2) Description of Prior Art
A variety of schemes for routing a call and determining the identity of a calling party are presently available. Many of these schemes determine the identity of the calling party based on a telephone number from which the call originated.
One caller identification scheme known as “caller ID” is an example of a scheme that can determine the identity of a calling party. In one implementation, caller ID can identify a telephone number associated with the telephone line or calling device used by a calling party and can provide the telephone number to a display device located at a receiving party's premises.
Another caller identification scheme known as “caller ID deluxe” is also an example of a scheme that can determine the identity of a calling party. In one implementation, caller ID deluxe can identify a calling party's telephone number and can use intelligent call processing to determine the name of the customer who pays for telephone service to be provided to the telephone number. Caller ID deluxe can provide both the telephone number and the customer name to a device located at the receiving party's premises.
Caller ID and caller ID deluxe can thus determine the identity of a calling party based on the telephone number from which the call originated. Caller ID and caller ID deluxe cannot, however, determine the actual identity of a calling party because different individuals may place calls from the same telephone number. For example, a parent may pay for telephone service to be provided to a telephone number that may be used by both the parent and the parent's children. Since the parent's name will be the customer name associated with the telephone number, a receiving party who receives a call from the telephone number will not know whether a parent or a child made the call, regardless of whether the receiving party subscribes to caller ID or caller ID deluxe.
Schemes such as caller ID and caller ID deluxe thus do not permit the actual identity of a calling party to be determined independent of, the telephone number from which a call originated, thereby inhibiting their utility.